Best Salad Houston 2013 - MKT Bar at Phoenicia Specialty Foods

There are places where the bowls are huge, where the number of ingredients in the salad makes it seem more like an entrée than a mix of vegetables, but when you order the MKT salad at MKT Bar at Phoenicia Specialty Foods downtown, you get a real salad. Crisp, hyper-fresh romaine and cucumber tossed with mint, feta, red grapes and pistachio combine with crisps of toasted pita and a garlicky lebni dressing to create a salad that's exactly what a salad should be — light and uncomplicated, refreshing and healthy, the flavors slightly acidic and delicious. For a heartier meal, chicken breast and/or shrimp can also be added upon request. A build-your-own option is also available inside the adjacent Phoenicia Specialty Foods market.

I was going to say that no way this tops Whole Foods on Waugh- that is pretty amazing albeit expensive to pay for the living wages of the workers. But then I went here and yeah it even tops Waugh plus you get the (say it like you're Davey BeBee of El Orbits/Surprise fame...) Shhtake & Baked Pertater Nite for $12, cheap Turkish Delight upstairs, that killer Wraps station and other stuff plus the live events like Soul Nite Saturdays at the bar area. Very cool. I imagine if Bebee ever gets over his grudge with Houston and returns to H-Town this would be his headquarters of choice to run for Mayor of the city. He'd probably even start a relationship with one of the black worker's here and explore the soul scene with her. Because he'd probably have just the kind of spirit of Swap&Bop from his Nostalgia for St. John's School barter days agenda (plus love of music) for the city that would cause black voters to think he is the coolest candidate running for mayor ever. Boomers would find the agenda really funny and vote for him as a classic sit-com version of the anti-establishment candidate. And the HP would publicize him- hell he'd probably manage to get international coverage as this real life Max Fisher that the press secretly loves as the rebel candidate. X's would be real jaded and cynical about him but he probably could already get the white Ys to vote for him as a write-in if somebody gave them the idea first. But PM is just that type of both real/professional place and make-shift DIY world that is unique in H-town. Usually there is no fusion in this city between the DIY of say Catastrophic and then all of the corporate elements in America's longest city. But this is that exception and one cool thing is that it is custom tailored for all generations and with the best selection of specialty beers in the city as well your home for the 20 ounce, 12% alcohol content beer. I just want to get the happy drug some of the workers are taking here, it must be real yummy!